Hundreds of homes to be built on historic airfield after developer wins appeal
Plans to turn a World War One airfield into a housing estate have been approved by the Government, a decision which has prompted a furious response from campaigners.
Old Sarum Airfield Ltd has been giving the green light to build up to 315 homes on Old Sarum Airfield in Salisbury.
Old Sarum is one of the oldest operational airfields in the country and has three Grade II listed hangars built by German prisoners of war in 1917.
The airfield operator’s planning application, which includes a flying hub with a control tower and restaurant, was rejected last August due to concerns over its impact on highways and nearby heritage sites, including an iron-age fort.
Lying within the setting of a Scheduled Monument, Old Sarum is recognised as a nationally important archaeological site by the Government. Along with the listed hangars, there are two conservation areas within the site. The proposals include the restoration of Hangar 3.
A planning inquiry was held in February after the airfield’s directors launched an appeal.
In the inquiry’s formal decision, Inspector Nick Fagan said the heritage benefits of the application “outweigh” the potential harm it could cause.
Campaign group Save Old Sarum said it is “dismayed” at the decision and councillors have also responded.
Parvis Khansari, Wiltshire Council corporate director for place, said the outline planning application had been refused by by the council’s Strategic Planning Committee last August for a number of reasons.
“The applicant decided to appeal against the council’s decision and a lengthy public inquiry took place earlier this year,” he added.
“Disappointingly, despite our best attempts to defend the decision, the independent planning inspector has decided that the benefits outweigh the negatives, concluding that planning permission should be granted.”
The Save Old Sarum campaign group said: “We are deeply disappointed and dismayed by the planning inspector’s decision regarding Old Sarum Airfield.
“This outcome represents a significant setback for local aviation enthusiasts, the community, historical preservation efforts and indeed, the heritage and significance of both the site itself and that of the setting of the Old Sarum Ancient Monument.
“We believe the inspector’s assessment failed to adequately consider the historical significance of the site, the impact on local amenities, the economic potential of the airfield, the environmental impact and the continuing degradation of Roman [Ford] Road.
“This decision undermines the preservation of the unique aviation heritage, the sustainable development of the region and the needs of the local community.
“We will be exploring all available options to address this unjust outcome and if we are ultimately unsuccessful, we trust and hope that the developers will do the honourable thing and deliver all the promises and undertakings they assured the public they would.”
